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Pentagon to Buy 12 Lockheed F-35s

Updated April 16, 2008 12:01 a.m. ET

The Defense Department is buying more of Lockheed Martin Corp.'s F-35 Lightning II fighters as part of the plane's early production.

The Pentagon decided last week to fund six Air Force jets and six for the Marine Corps, according to a Defense Department spokesperson. The purchase of the Marine Corps planes, which can land vertically and take off in short distances, is contingent on the aircraft's first flight this summer and a review...